Saturday, December 12, 2009

Musings on War and Peace: In the age of Globalization

On a recent cross-country flight between Atlanta and Phoenix, I witnessed what has now become an all-too-common sight: US Army soldiers flying to/from their base in battle fatigues. It has become customary for airlines and crew to extend a few small courtesies, to the soldiers. On this flight there was a single lady in Army BUD. Towards the end of the flight, along with other announcements, the stewardess made a special mention of thanks to the men-and-women in military, serving and ensuring the freedom of the nation, including the brave soldier seated in Seat 21 F. The cabin erupted in spontaneous cheers and applause.

Soldiers traveling to/from their deployment in a BUD or uniform, carrying gear a routine enough scene in many parts of the world . . . so routine that we don't even pause to think of the cost of wars and peace in twenty-first century.

On this flight, observing the spontaneous applause for the unknown soldier, I also began thinking of Mr. Obama’s Nobel Prize acceptance lecture where he begins the talk by taking on the issue of war and peace head on:

For make no mistake: evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince Al Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism – it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.

The (military) "might is right" thinking by western superpowers has not gone unnoticed in the east, perhaps the reason why the formerly “Non Aligned” India of has woken up to ask for an entry into Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) club as a nuclear-weapon state!

I guess any debae for or against size of militaries or even defense spending is moot since militaries around the world are a huge source of gainful employment for millions. War strategists also justify the economics of war and make the argument "a war gives the economy a boost"

There is nothing new in justifying war to bring peace, but it does make one reflect on the argument for effective policing to ensure peace or freedom for the rest of us. I guess we have to accept the dichotomy of globalization of war along with the globalization of our lives and economies.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Up in the Air: Movie on Travel and being Glocal

I generally go to the movies to experience an hour or two of entertainment and come out forgetting the plot and cast, so much so that I rarely contribute to discussions on movies/actors when it comes up in social settings. Up in the Air that I watched over the weekend will probably join the list of good/great /interesting movies I have seen over-the-years-but-cannot-recollect soon but I thought I’d capture my two cents in the blog.
The story is about a corporate downsizer in his travels and follows his isolated life and philosophies, along with the people that he meets along the way. The plot and theme of the movie hits home to globe-trotting road-warriors, self included: Mileage points, elite status, upgrades, a dose of downsizing, Glocal and the eternal philosophical question: why do we do it? in a sense the movie is about having to travel hopefully than to arrive.

The philosophy of the protagonist, Ryan Bingham espouses is to “Travel Light” physically and metaphorically by not carrying any baggage in live more than needed. Having lived for extended periods around the world, I can relate to the idea of how “liberating” it is to literally throw everything that does not fit into a backpack (or in my case checked in suitcases). I have done this more than a few times in my working life: moving from Bangalore to Welwyn Garden City, Hartfordshire, on to Frankfort, Kentucky and then to Colorado Springs, CO, a stint back in Bangalore to Mississauga, ON, traveling to Anytown USA, Basel, Switzerland and then again traveling between a base and Anytown USA.

The film features heavy product placement, with either American Airlines, Hertz, or Hilton Hotels prominently featured in almost every scene. While Ryan is a big fan of American Airline, going on to get one of the most coveted ultra elite (don’t-remember-name) status, I havent been that lucky. My business travels are eclectic and my employer, like most others doesn’t promote a specific airline. Which means that my miles (and loyalty) is spread across Delta, Continental, United and American Air (with their affiliate international partners). Bottomline: evern after clocking a few international flights and scores of domestic flights, I will not start the new year as an ultra-elite in with one airline.

On the hotel front, I have a bit more control though. While Rayan plugs Hilton, I am Platinum with InterContinental’s Priority Club and stick to their Hotels when possible (Crowne Plaza Resort Hotels, Holiday Inn Hotels, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites …).

I had an experience similar to Ryan Bingham’s Wisconsin hotel episode, though at that time it didn’t feel that much funny being at the receiving end. I had checked in at RExyz (upscale chain) near Philly Airport with colleagues for 3 nights. Our group was promised premium access that includdaccess to their Concierge lounge on the 12th floor: Breakfast in the mornings and sundowners, appetizers in the evenings. I happened to extend my stay by a day after my colleagues left and was surprised when my key-access to Concierge lounge didn’t work. I called the reception and was told politely: I was not an elite member in their program. I tried reasoning that I already had the concierge access during the current stay and that I was an ultra/platinum member at their competitor. The gatekeeper at the reception refused to hear me out.

Moral of my story: I had to travel to Philly about 8-10 times this quarter and my patronage , and money shifted back to the hotel chain where I was recognized and continue to get elite status. Stuff loyalty is made of I guess.

On the tech front too the plot of the movie hits home. I have written extensively about maturing-but-lack-of-adoption of Video Conferencing technologies in my blog and corporate blog entries. This is a point the story also drives home the point when Natalie’s GloCal idea of leveraging Video Conferencing technology to ‘virtually’ fire people backfires.

Other blogs and reviews: